Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.
Philippians 2: 9-11, Concordant New Testament
A good friend reminded me the other day after posting my last page of just how we should speak of the Lord Jesus. Of how it is that we should be talking of Him. His advice to me was to speak of the Lord in a way that denotes that it is Christ who remains and not us. I would agree with that. As I've mentioned before, one of the hardest concepts to understand in the entire Christ in you realization is the fact that we...are no more. Take a moment and ponder that truth. Glance at your reflection. Look at the way your fingers move. Then, take in the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians who tells us that WE have indeed been crucified with Christ Jesus at the cross {Galatians 2:20}. Paul understood and knew that he no longer existed, but that in his vessel of a body, Christ Jesus remained. So, as you glance at your reflection in the mirror, remember that it isn't you, but Christ you are gazing at. Of course, I still have my difficulties in speaking of the Lord Jesus. In my writings, it is important that I speak of Jesus in the rightful way, knowing that others will be reading it as well. My desire for those who read my posts is that they would come to know the truth of Jesus as I have. My background growing up in the mainstream church has given me a unique perspective into how it is that Jesus is spoken of and taught by todays institutional churches. I haven't abandoned God in any way. What the Father HAS accomplished in me in the revelation of the truth of His Son in me. Of course, saying that Jesus lives in me might denote that I (me) still exist? I can understand the difficulty others have in accepting the reality of the indwelling Jesus. All which we have been taught when it comes to Jesus is that He exists outside of us. That we, as sinners, are separated from Christ and the Father. Nothing could be further from the truth of Jesus. You say that you fear your sin nature will keep you away from a life in Christ? Not according to Paul. Paul calls us to the realization that we are now dead to sin {Romans 6:11}. How is it that Jesus could give His life on a Roman cross to wash away our sins yet we continue to worry and fret over sins which the Father has already forgiven? Someone explain that to me. The reality is, when the Father looks upon His children He does not see a sinner...but His beloved Son.
Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament
Although Paul's words in Galatians are a hallmark of our realization of Christ in us, I believe that his words in Romans are just as important. For here, Paul lays out the truth of that sin which so many Christians continue to live in fear of. We realize that we were crucified together with Jesus that this body of sin would be nullified {Romans 6:6}. We learn that of we indeed died with Christ, that we will live with Him as well {Romans 6:8}. And, here's the most important part, that Christ Jesus died to sin ONCE FOR ALL TIME {Romans 6:10}. That's it, there are no do overs! The truth is that Jesus became sin at the cross and that we died with Him. Perhaps it easier for us to live in the fear of sin? For me, I'd rather live in the confidence that Jesus lives, and that He lives in me. So, when we speak of Jesus, we should speak in a way which recognizes the truth of who He is today. He...is me. The false narrative so often spoken by the mainstream church is that we ourselves are in charge, which simply isn't true. For if we died with Christ, He is the only One who remains.
~Scott~
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